


Rivalries

by E350tb



Series: Unauthorised Tales from the Titanic [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Human, Gen, RMS Titanic, Titanic AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 00:36:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16984797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E350tb/pseuds/E350tb
Summary: Two engineers meet on a ship.Based on 'Everything In The World Was Standing Still' by CaptainJZH.





	Rivalries

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CaptainJZH](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJZH/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Everything In The World Was Standing Still](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15479709) by [CaptainJZH](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJZH/pseuds/CaptainJZH). 



> A little vignette based on my good friend CaptainJZH's Titanic AU. Might do some more down the line, because this was good fun!

** Rivalries **

_ RMS Titanic - 13 April 1912 _

They called her Eyeball. It wasn't a particularly kind nickname, but she couldn't deny it was apt.

She heard them whispering about the eyepatch. Had she been in the South African War? (No, too young.) Had she been in some altercation in Whitechapel or some other disreputable area? (No, her accent’s wrong.) Was it some kind of horrible ailment? (But you can clearly see the scarring!)

The truth wasn't all that interesting, if she was honest. Some idiot apprentice at the Plant hadn't secured a box of nails. It had fallen as she walked by, and the next thing she remembered she was in Doncaster Hospital with one less eye and one less job.

No wonder she was crabby.

If nothing else, the company had paid her off well, and she figured she'd use that money to try her luck stateside. Maybe Baldwin or Alco might have use for a one-eyed fitter. Who knew?

She sat in the Third Class Dining Room on F Deck, scribbling on a napkin. Dinner was still a long way away, and she was largely alone - it suited her just fine. On the napkin, the form of a steam locomotive slowly appeared - a technical drawing, each detail carefully etched into the proper proportions. Nothing less could be expected of an engineer trained at Doncaster.

She felt a presence behind her, and slowly dropped her pencil, looking behind her.

“Do you  _ mind? _ ” she asked testily.

The other woman - a member of the crew, by the looks of it - was very indiscreetly studying her drawing, her arms crossed.

“Not bad,” she muttered, “But it’s a bit  _ small _ .”

“What do you mean,  _ small? _ ” demanded Eyeball.

“Well, how much does it weigh?” asked the woman.

“113 tons.”

The woman snorted.

“That all?” she asked, “The new E6’s we’ve been puttin’ out at my old job weigh 200! What about horse power?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Twenty-five?  _ Twenty-five? _ Try  _ fifty-seven. _ I mean, sure, that thing’s probably nice to boil your tea, but-”

“Speed,” grunted Eyeball.

“What?”

“Top speed,” Eyeball repeated, “What is it?”

“Uh… seventy-five.”

Eyeball smirked.

“ _ Eighty. _ ”

The woman narrowed her eyes, and for a moment there was dead silence.

Then, with a chuckle, the woman extended her arm.

“Doc,” she said, “I’m one of the engineers - used to work on the Pennsylvania Railroad but… eh, they said I was slow and let me loose. Can you believe it?”

Eyeball took her hand. “Used to work for the Great Northern - apprenticed under someone named Nigel Gresley. Then I lost my eye, so now I’m here.”

“Well, nice to meet you,” replied Doc, “Say, what kind of valve gear is that…”


End file.
